The Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is another topic that appears to deceive English speakers of Spanish. English speakers studying Spanish have a inclination to deceive the preterite with the imperfect & vice versa. Both tenses delineate activities that took spot in the past. But I conveive English speakers just studying Spanish have a inclination to deceive the 2 since in English in certain instances we sometimes use the same shape of a verb to delineate an activeness that took spot in the past. But in Spanish, in the same instance, you can’t use both the preterite or the imperfect. Only one would be correct.

For example, in English , we may use the recent tense of the verb to go (i.e. went) to delineate 2 another activities that took spot in the past.

1. I went to the shopping plaza three times.

2. When I was young, I went to the shopping mall.

(Note: In English, for count 2 you might as well say When I was young, I used to go to the shopping mall.)

Both sentences use the same verb went to delineate the activeness that took spot in the past. But in Spanish, you can’t use the same verb tense. In the premier sentence, you must use the preterite of ir (fui), & the imperfect verb tense (iba) in the latter.

Yo fui al almacn tres veces.

Cuando yo epoch joven, yo iba al almacn.

We will blanket the imperfect verb tense in bigger item in a future lesson. But for now, conveive of the imperfect as a verb tense used to delineate how stuff used to be or to delineate an activeness that was uninterrupted or accustomed in the past.

The preterite verb tense is normally used to say what happened (1) during a restored period of time (either said or implied), (2) a unique count of times, (3) or during an included period of time. Here are many examples.

(1) During a restored period of time:

Ayer compr un martillo.

Yesterday, I bought a hammer.

(2) A unique count of times (either say or implied)

l perdi mi destornillador dos veces.

He lost my screwdriver 2 times.

I went to the hardware store.

Yo fui a la ferretera.

(It is implied that you went to the hardware shop one time).

(3) During an included period of time.

You hammered the nail for an hour.

T martillaste el clavo por una hora.

The following are many frequent verbs in the preterite tense.

AR Verbs (hablar)

Yo habl

T hablaste

l/ella/usted habl

Nosotros/nosotras hablamos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaron

ER Verbs (beber)

Yo beb

T bebiste

l/ella/usted bebi

Nosotros/nosotras bebimos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes bebieron

IR Verbs Vivir

Yo viv

T viviste

l/ella/usted vivi

Nosotros/nosotras vivimos

Ellos/ellas/ustedes vivieron

Here are many examples.

1. Last week you bought a saw.

La semana pasada, t compraste una sierra.

2. Yesterday, the man wanted a hammer.

Ayer, el hombre necesit un martillo.

3. They used the rake nine times.

Ellos usaron el rastrillo nueve veces.

4. The brother-in-law put the goes away in the bag.

El cuado meti las hojas en la bolsa.

5. This morning the women sewed the clothes.

Esta maana las mujeres cosieron la ropa.

6. Last night, I covered the dessert.

Anoche yo cubr el postre.

Now lets attempt many on your own. The replies follow.

1. The son-in law consumed shrimp 2 times.

2. Today they resolved to say the truth.

3. Did you use the hoe in the yard today? (Familiar)

4. The daughter-in-law became on the oven a 2 oclock.

5. Last summer, the soldiers marched in the parade.

6. He suffered a lot in the war this year.

Answers:

1. El yerno comi camarones dos veces.

2. Hoy ellos decidieron a decir la verdad.

3. ?Usaste tu el azadon en el jardin hoy?

4. La nuera encendi el horno a las dos.

5. El verano pasado los soldados marcharon en el desfile.

6. El sufri mucho en la guerra este ano.

Related posts:

  1. Learning Spanish and the Pluperfect Tense
  2. Spanish Grammar Lesson on the Present Progressive Tense
  3. Learning Spanish Online and the Future Indicative Tense
  4. Online Learning Spanish Lesson on Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns
  5. Spanish Grammar Lesson and the Verbs “Ser” and “Estar”